Almond Blossom

[Dedee]

Almond Blossom
Even iron can put forth,
Even iron.

This is the iron age,
But let us take heart
Seeing iron break and bud,
Seeing rusty iron puff with clouds of blossom.

The almond-tree,
December's bare iron hooks sticking out of earth.

The almond-tree,
That knows the deadliest poison, like a snake
In supreme bitterness.

Upon the iron, and upon the steel,
Odd flakes as if of snow, odd bits of snow,
Odd crumbs of melting snow.

But you mistake, it is not from the sky;
From out the iron, and from out the steel,
Flying not down from heaven, but storming up,
Strange storming up from the dense under-earth
Along the iron, to the living steel
In rose-hot tips, and flakes of rose-pale snow
Setting supreme annunciation to the world.

Nay, what a heart of delicate super-faith,
Iron-breaking,
The rusty swords of almond-trees.

Trees suffer, like races, down the long ages.
They wander and are exiled, they live in exile through long ages
Like drawn blades never sheathed, hacked and gone black,
The alien trees in alien lands: and yet
The heart of blossom,
The unquenchable heart of blossom!

Look at the many-cicatrised frail vine, none more scarred and frail,
Yet see him fling himself abroad in fresh abandon
From the small wound-stump.

Even the wilful, obstinate, gummy fig-tree
Can be kept down, but he'll burst like a polyp into prolixity.

And the almond-tree, in exile, in the iron age!

This is the ancient southern earth whence the vases were baked, amphoras, craters, cantharus, oenochoe, and open-hearted cylix,
Bristling now with the iron of almond-trees

Iron, but unforgotten,
Iron, dawn-hearted,
Ever-beating dawn-heart, enveloped in iron against the exile, against the ages.

See it come forth in blossom
From the snow-remembering heart
In long-nighted January,
In the long dark nights of the evening star, and Sirius, and the Etna snow-wind through the long night.

Sweating his drops of blood through the long-nighted Gethsemane
Into blossom, into pride, into honey-triumph, into most exquisite splendour.
Oh, give me the tree of life in blossom
And the Cross sprouting its superb and fearless flowers!

Something must be reassuring to the almond, in the evening star, and the snow-wind, and the long, long, nights,
Some memory of far, sun-gentler lands,
So that the faith in his heart smiles again
And his blood ripples with that untenable delight of once-more-vindicated faith,
And the Gethsemane blood at the iron pores unfolds, unfolds,
Pearls itself into tenderness of bud
And in a great and sacred forthcoming steps forth, steps out in one stride
A naked tree of blossom, like a bridegroom bathing in dew, divested of cover,
Frail-naked, utterly uncovered
To the green night-baying of the dog-star, Etna's snow-edged wind
And January's loud-seeming sun.

Think of it, from the iron fastness
Suddenly to dare to come out naked, in perfection of blossom, beyond the sword-rust.
Think, to stand there in full-unfolded nudity, smiling,
With all the snow-wind, and the sun-glare, and the dog-star baying epithalamion.

Oh, honey-bodied beautiful one,
Come forth from iron,
Red your heart is.
Fragile-tender, fragile-tender life-body,
More fearless than iron all the time,
And so much prouder, so disdainful of reluctances.

In the distance like hoar-frost, like silvery ghosts communing on a green hill,
Hoar-frost-like and mysterious.

In the garden raying out
With a body like spray, dawn-tender, and looking about
With such insuperable, subtly-smiling assurance,
Sword-blade-born.

Unpromised,
No bounds being set.
Flaked out and come unpromised,
The tree being life-divine,
Fearing nothing, life-blissful at the core
Within iron and earth.

Knots of pink, fish-silvery
In heaven, in blue, blue heaven,
Soundless, bliss-full, wide-rayed, honey-bodied,
Red at the core,
Red at the core,
Knotted in heaven upon the fine light.

Open,
Open,
Five times wide open,
Six times wide open,
And given, and perfect;
And red at the core with the last sore-heartedness,
Sore-hearted-looking.
- DH Lawrence

Something must be reassuring to the almond, in the evening star, and the snow-wind, and the long, long, nights: almond blossom, hoar-frost, and snow-wind.

When I first read the description for this scent I thought it would be full on almond, as in the nut, not the blossom! So when I first caught the scent when I opened the bottle I was taken aback! It had a very light flower scent, with no hint of the nutty goodness I was expecting. However the floral scent from the almond blossom was very light and pleasant so I applied a dab to my skin. The floral amped up immediately and I became a little nervous, floral and I do not get along much. But once my skin had a chance to work with the oils it blossomed into a floral I could actually wear! It is very light, and slightly warmed with the briefest touch of almond, and I think I could actually smell the cold snow-wind! The scent is almost alive, as if you would catch it on a breeze while walking through a forest in March, when some buds opened in anticipation of longer days and warm sun, only to be pushed back into winter with a surprise dusting of snow.... I don't know how she does it, but Bravo, Beth!!

[MiasmaResonance]

Fresh from the mailbox!

 

In the bottle: slightly spicy floral almond. Yum...

 

On: more white floral, that hint of spice is gone and is now more ozoney/hint of mint.

 

Sadly this is very soapy floral on me in the end. Shucks.

[SadariEvenstar]

I don't actually get any almond out of this. It is straight up snow/floral note, specifically the one used in Yellow and Blue Snowballs. Or Ondurdis without the pine and berries.

Edited December 15, 2013 by SadariEvenstar

[pinkstardust420]

I don't get any almond out of this either. It's a beautiful strong floral, as somebody else described in Yellow/Blue Snowballs. To me, it seems to be in the same family as Snow White.

[cherrycherry]

This is nothing even remotely what I thought it would be like. I expected some almond but there's no almond at all. Instead, I get sweet, white florals and that gorgeous snow note that the lab does so well. Actually, I really love this to pieces. It's clean and sparkling and really quite beautiful. It reminds me of a quieter, almost glittery version of Ondurdis. This might be one of the big favourite for me out of this year's Yule update. Stunning.

Edited December 17, 2013 by cherrycherry

[Sakura Tsukikage]

I feel a little like the odd one out here, because I didn't expect any almond at all--I expected and wanted a snowy floral and that's what I got!

 

This is a sweet, gentle, warm floral with the lab's snow note overlaying the top of it. The sort of rich but soft almost waxy scent of the blossom is the same note, I think, as the almond flower in The Penitent Magdalen--at least, the two blends smell very similar to me, the Penitent Magdalen more woody and almost clean, and this one bright and a bit chill, biting and fresh with the snow. Quiet and glittery, sparkling and clean, like the poster above me described.

 

In the bottle I get both the flower and the snow in equal measure. Once on, it smells much the same, but as it dries, the snow sticks closer to my wrist, while the lovely sweet floral scent of the almond blossom is what throws and wafts around me, more, though I still get whiffs of snow.

 

I also agree with the first review, in terms of the feeling of walking through a snowy landscape and getting the smell of early almond blossoms--which fits the the inspiration of the poem just perfectly. That poem is actually why I bought this scent, and I'm so pleased that it's as gorgeous as it is to me. I'm pretty confident in saying now that almond blossom might just be a favorite note of mine!

 

Editing to say that I put this on yesterday around noon, and I can still smell it nice and present on my wrists twenty-four hours later! It doesn't have much throw anymore, but it's still very present. Yesterday it had what I consider to be the perfect amount of throw--you can smell it close to me and I can smell it wafting around me, but it's not going to bother anyone.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Sakura Tsukikage

[DryasMeliai]

I love this!!!

 

I ordered this with Snow White - they definitely have the same snow notes - but whereas Snow White is a creamy white pineapple floral, Almond Blossom is a sharper PINK floral.

 

Wet it reminds me of a Shirley Temple HEAVY on the grenadine. Every time I apply it I expect to see a bright red syrupy dot of grenadine on my wrist! However, once it dries down it blends into a chilly sweet pink floral that works perfectly with the snow notes. I was a bit trepidatious about the cold notes - but they're perfect!! Absolutely no mint or dryer sheet! On me it smells exactly like the cold ozone smell of a chilly winter wind. I'm tempted to grab a back up next month!

[Lycanthrope]

On my skin, this is a fabulous snow note.

 

Starts off even citruss-y sweet, like an orange-flower citrus, burns off quickly. Then goes right into classic territory of things like Talvikuu, Nuclear Winter, Skadi (but more floral). I don't actually picture flowers when I wear this. But, on me at least, it goes into DELICIOUS SLUSH territory. And I like me some DELICIOUS SLUSH. Have to wear versus Skadi to see which one gets my love this year.

 

Two paws up! Yay whore frost!

[Viridian]

I was expecting a sweet floral almond, but on me this goes through several rather distinct but all gorgeous and unique phases:

 

First, I get the tiniest bit of "fizz" while it's wet, almost like a champagne note.

 

Once the fizz settles, I get a cool, cotton-laundry feel. It smells at this stage a lot like a very, very soft version of Bath and Body Works' old discontinued cotton blossom lotion.

 

Then, finally, as it settles more, I get juuuust a hint of whatever it was I loved so much about Black Opal. I can see the comparison to Snow White, but on me this has a touch of Black Opal's delicate cool sweetness to it. If you like any of the delicate white vanilla florals this is absolutely for you -- I don't get vanilla out of it, but it's sweet and comforting like a pile of fluffy white towels out of the dryer. Beyond gorgeous, second-bottle worthy.

[schneagl]

In the bottle: A mix of flowers - like others, I went into this thinking almond the nut, not almond blossom the flower, which was my misunderstanding. I can't separate the underlying notes well - there's a brashness to the base, which is a strength here, it's lending a fullness to to the blossom's scent.

 

Wet on my skin: Much the same as in the bottle. The undertones are spicy, maybe a touch citrus-y for a while. A bright scent.

 

Drydown: Oooh, here comes the winter tones! The almond blossom is now layered underneath a cool scent, almost minty. I'm not coming up with the right term for that underlying "spicy" bite, though I know I've smelled it before.

 

I like the final effects, it does indeed come across as snow across a blossom. It didn't go powdery at any point. The throw is light to medium and it lasted an average time for me, about 6 hours.

[The Poison Queen]

Almondy sweet snow in the bottle in the bottle but SN Snow on my skin. Off to someone who can love it!

[HerbGirl]

Very nice! The Lab's brilliant snow scent with a touch of almond. I like this quite a bit.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: Other reviewers have mentioned not getting any almond in this, but I actually do get almond from this... like a hint of the extract (not the nut itself). Just like Annurca Apple Blossom has a prominent apple note at first, this blossom has a bit of almondy goodness to it. This is very promising.

 

Wet: The almond that I was getting in the decant is still present, but it isn't nearly as prominent. Then, the floral aspect takes over, but this is still really promising! I am getting the snow from this as well. Although some have compared the snow note in this to the one in Snow White, I am not getting that at all.

 

Something in the blend is threatening to turn soapy... I'm not sure if it is the almond blossom or the snow, but it hasn't quite turned to soap yet. I hope it refrains from doing so!

 

Dry: It didn't turn soapy! This is a lovely snowy floral with a hint of almond!

 

Verdict: I am definitely keeping the decant, but I think I will be needing a bottle of this one!

Edited December 31, 2013 by dementia_divine

[Alaeidrel]

All I get is sharp, bitter snow and ozone. It doesn't change as it dries, just gets stronger. Off to swaps!

[Aviatrix]

I was very curious about this one, because I had never smelled almond blossom before, so I really didn't know what to expect.

 

In the vial I get a very sharp kind of snow (I guess?) and some marzipan-like almond.

 

The almond almost disappears on my skin, but is still faintly there when wet. There is also a faint, indistinctive floral hiding behind the snow now. The snow is kind of green and ozone-ish, and not exactly as sharp as in the vial.

 

The drydown is not much different, except the almond traces are all gone now.

 

It was certainly different from what I imagined, and I probably would have wanted some more almond. The hoar-frost and snow-wind were prominently there, though. I probably don't need a bottle of this, as I would never wear it, but Im glad I got to try it.

[theseagrows]

this starts off as a bright and effervescent aquatic scent. shortly the snow-wind comes through, slightly sweet, icy and minty. so pretty. there is a sweetness here that comes out later, which is undoubtedly the almond blossom. this is a very pretty, light and slightly sweet scent. it may be too aquatic for me, but i am going to try it once more to be sure, because i was testing like 4 scents at once!

[zankoku_zen]

Starts out slightly sharp, but then it dries to a snowy, slightly minty (hint of eucalyptus or camphor in it) with tinges of a white floral.

 

As it continues to dry, it gets a warmer base on it, and I think that's the almond blossom making an appearance, vaguely smelling like a white floral tinged with almond.

 

I've smelled this snow note before - and its the icy type, as opposed to the slushier type I adore, and I think it tends to make an appearance on the [insert color] Snowball scents.

[lavenderfrost]

In The Imp: Welp. Definitely lots of cold almond.

 

Immediate Application: A sort of peppermint smell starts to come through? I think? After a few minutes it goes soapy on me, which isn't necessarily something I mind, but I'm not crazy about it either.

 

Dry-Down: The soapiness fades and leaves behind a sweetness that's not actually reminiscent of food. I kind of like this stage.

 

Verdict: It's good, but I'm not sure about liking it enough to get a full bottle. Definitely bears re-testing in a few days when I'm not in the middle of Shark Week to make sure, and even if I don't get a bottle, the imp is worth keeping.

[welcometothefamily]

In the Imp: Softly floral, ozonic. Hints of sweet almond and lemon.

 

Wet: Sweet, kind of reminiscent of dish washing detergent, but not unpleasant as such.

 

Drydown: The detergent has disappeared, but it's now reminding me of lemon cologne. Sweet lemon cologne. It's not unpleasant, but not really what I was expecting.

 

Verdict: This is pleasant enough, but I don't think I need a bottle.

 

3/5

[Eemia]

LOVE. Just, love. This was my head over heels Yule this year. It's a creamy, sweet, soft scent that has the same sensual aspects as a heavy vanilla fragrance, minus the vanilla. This snow note is so beautiful and round and white, cold but not icy or sharp. I get breaths of a feminine floral and the faintest almond. I would have thought the creaminess combined with the almond would translate as marzipan on me but luckily they stay separate and this smells like more of a wintery, young floral than anything gourmand. It stays sweet and milky throughout the wear time and sits closely on my skin. No powdery or musky dry down. This scent type usually can feel cloying but this is fresh and light.

 

I think I had a sappy butterflies in the stomach moment with this one.

[tailoredshirt]

Almond Blossom is an almond-y version of Snow White to me. It was weirdly appealing and I kept sniffing my wrist, but the almond/mint combo was strange and didn't work on my skin. It also had a bit of a plastic/Playdough vibe that I don't get with Snow White. I applied it mid afternoon yesterday, and when I woke up this morning my wrist smelled exactly like Playdough. I imagine this would work really well for other people, but not for me. I do recommend trying it if you like Snow White.

[Lorelai1945]

Yikes. I don't know what my skin chemistry does to this poor scent, but almost the second this hits my skin it amps LAUNDRY DETERGENT like no other. It's crazy strong and honestly gives me a headache. In the imp it smells a lot more almond-y (a foody almond, even), and I'm sad it doesn't stay like that on me. I will say that with time the strength of the scent does mellow some, but it still reminds me a lot of laundry. After the drydown, I do detect the sharp coldness of one of the lab's snow notes; I think this has a lot to do with the way this in turning on me. In the end, I smell dirty snow. Not a favorite.

[astarinel]

This one is the ozoney, minty snow note that my skin doesn't like, unfortunately.

 

It's a little lighter than usual, so it doesn't completely take over the scent, but the ozone aspect definitely starts to get a little laundry detergent once it hits my skin.

 

It's a shame, because the rest of this scent is a soft, creamy, vaguely almond-y floral scent that I like. In the long drydown, this is what emerges, but it takes way too long to get there on me.

 

If you can handle the ozoney snow note, though, this has the potential to be really pretty, and I wish it were closer on me to the way it smells in the decant.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: Almond blossom touched by the cold winds.

 

Wet: Much as on cold sniff, but there's a hint of the nut itself, and a slight sweetness not present when sniffed from the decant.

 

The dry-down: Now mostly the flower, and fading--too bad, as this is a wonderful scent. On my maybe-to-upgrade list.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Almonds and a touch of dry fizziness, I know this will sound odd but it's almost like Gin & Tonic

 

Wet on me - Minty with a toffee like undercurrent and a touch of soap

 

Dry on me - A soft cool mans cologne type scent

 

Overall - It's cool dry and masculine I would have loved more of the almonds